As part of our Swim Mark accreditation the club reviews its Child Protection Policy in line with Swim England's Guidelines and Good Practice on a regular basis. The principles we abide by are detailed at:

The club regularly reviews its Child Welfare Policy. In summary, the Club’s expectations for the safety and welfare of children under the age of 12 years is:

The general principle by which we operate is that club takes responsibility for your children on poolside only.

No swimmers under the age of 12 should be left unattended during training sessions without a parent, guardian or nominated carer. This is in case of illness, injury or session cancellation/early termination.

The coaching team must be advised in advance of the session of the identity of the nominated carer if it is not the child’s parent/guardian.

If not the child’s parent/guardian, the nominated carer must have an emergency phone contact number for the parent and be able to act in their place in case of emergency poolside.

Children under 12 must also be collected from poolside in person by an adult and should not leave the building unattended or be left in the changing rooms without a parent/carer poolside.

Children under 12 left unattended poolside will not be able to swim.

At Parkside the pool operators are responsible for the changing areas.

At the Leys parents, guardians or nominated carers should not enter opposite sex changing rooms.

At the Leys if parents need to enter same sex changing rooms it is best practice and the clubs recommendation that they do so in pairs.

It is everyone's responsibility to report any concerns about abuse, to the child welfare officer of the club. It is the Swimming Club's responsibility to liaise with Swim England and act where necessary after taking advice from Swim England and Social Services Department and/or Police. It is the responsibility of Swim England and these agencies to conduct, where appropriate, a joint investigation.

All incidents of alleged poor practice, misconduct and abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately.

All personal data will be processed in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998.

The Swimming Club has a responsibility to maintain confidentiality in all cases involving child welfare in line with current legislation.

Review

This Policy and these Procedures will be regularly monitored and reviewed:

In accordance with changes in legislation and guidance on the welfare of children or any changes within the Swimming Club, or Swim England.

Following any issues or concerns raised about the welfare of children within the Swimming Club.

Equity is enshrined in the constitution of the City of Cambridge Swimming Club and the Club is committed to ensuring that equity is incorporated across all aspects of its activities and development.

Sports equity is about fairness in sport, equality of access, recognising inequalities and taking steps to address them. It is about changing the culture and structure of sport to ensure it becomes equally accessible to everyone in society.

City of Cambridge Swimming Club respects the rights, dignity and worth of every person and will treat everyone equally within the context of their sport, regardless of age, ability, gender, race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexuality, social / economic status or political persuasion. City of Cambridge Swimming Club is committed to everyone having the right to enjoy their sport in an environment free from threat of discrimination, intimidation, harassment and abuse.

All members of City of Cambridge Swimming Club have a responsibility to challenge discriminatory behaviour and promote equality of opportunity. City of Cambridge Swimming Club will deal with any incidence of discriminatory behaviour seriously, in accordance with the ASA Code of Ethics, guidelines for internal disputes and judicial laws.

Who to Contact

Any Equity issues should be brought to the attention of the Club Chairperson at chair@cocsc.org.uk.

Social Media

With the prevalence of social media such as Facebook and Twitter the club's Social Media Policy has been aligned with that of Swim England. All club members, parents/carers of club and Swim England members should comply with the policy outlined in the following link Social Media